U.S. Mint Announces Baseball-Themed Coin Design Contest

The United States Mint on Thursday announced a call for entries for a coin design competition that will select the image for the obverse (heads side) of the 2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame commemorative coins.

It is the first public design contest organized by the Mint since 1992.

The design shall be emblematic of the game of baseball, the U.S. Mint said in a release. The Baseball Coin Design Competition will be open to all U.S. citizens and permanent residents, ages 14 and older. The winner of the design competition will be awarded $5,000 and the winner's initials will appear on the minted coins.

The Mint also announced a separate Kids' Baseball Coin Design Challenge for children ages 13 and under. Winners will receive a National Baseball Hall of Fame $1 silver commemorative coin. The winning children's designs will also be showcased on the Department of the Treasury, U.S. Mint and National Baseball Hall of Fame websites.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act calls for a three-coin program of $5 gold, $1 silver, and half-dollar clad coins, and requires a competition to select a common obverse design emblematic of the game of baseball.

The $5 gold and $1 silver coins will be the first "curved" coins minted and issued by the Mint, with the reverses (tail sides) being convex to more closely resemble a baseball, and the obverses being concave to provide a more dramatic design.

More information regarding the contest, including guidelines for designs, can be found in the Mint’s website.